Chord
A♭ Add 9 Chord
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this chord.
Notes
A♭ · C · E♭ · B♭
Root: A♭
Intervals
1 · 3 · 5 · 9
How it is built
This chord starts on A♭ and applies the intervals 1, 3, 5, 9. The result contains 4 distinct pitch classes per octave.
Explore related combinations
Guide and musical context
About A♭ Add 9 Chord
A♭ Add 9 Chord contains A♭, C, E♭, B♭. Its sound is clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh.
Character and sound
Clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh.
Musical context and history
Add9 chords became especially common in modern pop, rock and acoustic arranging because they enrich a triad while keeping a simple open structure.
How and where it is used
They work well as colored tonic or subdominant chords and in open-string voicings.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
From A♭, the dominant is E♭, the subdominant is C♯ and the relative minor is F. These relationships are useful starting points for progressions.
The formula on this page is 1 · 3 · 5 · 9 and, from A♭, produces the notes A♭ · C · E♭ · B♭.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭ Add 9 Chord?
The notes are A♭, C, E♭, B♭.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 9.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh. They work well as colored tonic or subdominant chords and in open-string voicings.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.